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“I only had to kill a few before the main fish decided helping me was in his best interest.”

“What do you want?”

“I want you to watch your little coup fail.” His voice reminded Soulara of sea snakes, hiding in the sand and striking with insidious cruelty, watching their prey die slowly from their poison. “And then, after you watch me dissect that evil transforming fish, you’ll beg for death when I’m done with you.”

Autumn gave no answer that Soulara could hear.

Chalmers’s laughter rang out for a long moment before the metal scream filled her ears again.

When the scream ended, Soulara could only just make out the heavy pounding of boots on metal, before a bang echoed far away and silence settled around her again.

“I’m so sorry, Soulara. I’m so sorry I ever let him find us.”

“He hasn’t won.” Soulara clenched her jaw, her mind working double time. She needed something to help them get out of there. They needed a plan, an ally, anything that would help them.

“Yet. But he will.”

“No. He won’t. We have more than just our love going for us.”

“We can’t wait for Honour to find us. Chalmers isn’t stupid. We won’t be anywhere I know, or anywhere they’ll be able to find us.”

“Autumn,” Soulara said.

“Yes?”

“Do you still have Nylah’s stone?”

A gasp came through the wall. After a few moments of shuffling sounds and muttered words from Autumn that sounded like begging that Soulara couldn’t quite make out, a cheer reached her.

“Yes. Oh, of course. Yes, Soulara I still have it.”

“Did you tell anyone about it?”

“No.”

“And, Marshall?”

“No, he never saw it. It was my secret.”

“Excellent.”

“Do we really think we can win this?”

“Absolutely.” Soulara pressed her hand against the wall once more. “We’re going to be the victors in this war. Just like we were in the past.”

“In the past?”

“Oh yes,” Soulara allowed the power of war and blood lust run through her for a moment, but just as quickly her love for this woman, for the merpeople, and this planet quickly took over. Yes, she would relish seeing that evil man die, but that was second to seeing her life and the lives of those she held so dear flourish.

This was what her father had never let himself imagine. That love could be more powerful, more fierce than the need to rule and the need to be in charge.

Soulara trusted her tribe, and while someone had betrayed her to this man, she understood that whoever it was had done it to save others.

“We’ll win, and we’ll spend the rest of our days loving the world we make on our planet.”

“I love you, Soulara.”

“I love you. Autumn,” Soulara said. “Now let’s find our people and show Chalmers what these fish are really capable of.”